Homemade Gifts

I took the Buy Homemade pledge this year, and outside of a few non-homemade items (like a gas gift card for Tommy), stuck with it. Actually, I only bought a few things -- I made most of the gifts myself.

The hats (left) were for all the nieces (on my side of the family) -- the five of them range in age from 8 to 16. I love this hat pattern -- it fits everyone, it's fun, and can be personalized to go with different winter coats.

We draw names for the adults on my side of the family and ended up with all the women. I made up packages for them with several handmade things -- earrings, patchwork scarves, etc.

As always, it was a last-minute push to get everything completed. But it worked out in the end, as it always does.

The only thing I didn't get done was a hat for Tommy. I hadn't promised it, but I know he's been wanting one for a while. It's the adult version of the Harry Potter baby hat from Weekend Knitting. He wants it simpler -- no stars and done in off-white, cream, and light yellow. I promised it would be the next thing I knitted... so it's on the needles now.... (or will be if I can finally find a size that fits the gauge).

Paper Lust

There's no doubt about it, I'm a paper 'ho. I love all sorts of papers -- the more lush and expensive, the better.

The shop on Etsy is new, and still in its formative stages, but its existence has allowed me to play with paper.... in sort of a professional way.

I love making patchwork with paper -- letting the colors and patterns and textures speak to me in how I arrange them (and them sew them) on the page. Most of my first paper items in the shop have been based on the sewing-on-paper patchwork idea.

Many of the papers in the notecards pictured are from Hollander's, an amazing paper store in Kerrytown/Ann Arbor. Don't you just love the combination of red and aqua?

Curator

I left the museum world (mostly) over a year ago. I did a lot of jobs there, but was never a curator. But yesterday I was on Etsy at the right time, and got to curate two Treasuries.*

What fun! The first is filled with Harry Potter goodies. It's called "Hermione's Christmas List." I'd been thinking about wanting to do a Treasury like it for a while. There are so many fun Harry Potter-related gifts on Etsy right now! Perfect for the HP fan for Christmas.

The second Treasury came about because I happened to have two browsers open at the same time. When I saw that I had gotten a 2nd Treasury, I put it together on the spot. It's based on my retro Christmas cards, "Gather 'Round the Aluminum Tree." I looked through Etsy for Christmas goodies reminiscent of the 50s and early 60s... mid-century stuff. There were quite a few nice things to choose from -- I think it came out well.

The Treasuries last about 3 days total, so these expire in a day or two. Come visit them!


*I found out afterward that I am only supposed to have one Treasury at a time... I promise to be good next time...

Cross Promotion

Below is a list of Etsy sellers that are working to cross-promote each other. Check them out!

aBreathofFrenchair
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5166007

knotsntangles
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5248577

NarikosNest
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5240514

keytothedusypages
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5353835

winemakerssister
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5329225

4paws
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5309590

Morsbags

I love the idea of Morsbags. They're homemade bags used for shopping. The idea is to use them to replace the nasty plastic shopping bags you get almost everywhere.

I'd love to make a bunch of Morsbags.... sew all day long and churn out a pile of them. But I know that's probably not going to happen. For one thing, I never have a day that's completely open like that. But I've joined two Swap-Bot swaps (one completed, one just beginning) for them. And... knowing how fixated I am on deadlines... that has really helped me sit down and make some.

For the first swap I made six. Less than I was hoping for, but my sewing machine started making nasty noises toward the end of the 6th bag. And that was the end of my sewing until it returned from the repair shop. The ones pictured (above left) with Henry are some of the first I made.

Since the first swap closed, I've made three more. Any time there's a swap where I think my partner would like one, I make another. The purple one is one of my most recent bags.

Now I just need to make a few for myself!

Etsy, Etsy, and More Etsy

I've been working to get some stock into the new Etsy shop. For now, it's primarily notecards and Hogwarts (Harry Potter) bracelets. I had a request for Christmas cards, so I put together three different themes/colorways. They were very fun to do!

The cards on the left are probably my favorites. I like the fusion of 21st century and mid-century (1950s) colors and shapes.

I have lots of ideas of what to try -- and have no idea what will sell. I've paid to be in the main Showcase this Sunday and the following Friday, so I need to get the shop stocked up as much as possible!

Take the Handmade Pledge

Fight the Big Box syndrome -- take the Handmade Pledge this holiday season.

The pledge says: "I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season, and request that others do the same for me." I am hoping to make a lot of gifts myself, but also plan on doing some fun shopping.

Of course, there probably needs to be an exception for the teenager in my life. Unless I can figure out how to knit a gas gift card, that is.

Etsy!

Well, I've done it. I've started a shop on Etsy. The official address is winemakerssister.etsy.com.

I set it up a few weeks ago and finally added my first items this morning. I'm really overwhelmed with swaps right now and won't have time to do much more right away, but hope to add more items soon.

So far I've added some wine-related notecards (sewing on paper), my infamous Hogwarts/Harry Potter bracelets, and a one-of-a-kind pumpkin bracelet.

Stop by and visit soon!

Lucky Parcels

I love making these little packets! They're regular swaps with the FAA (Fabric Addicts Anonymous) group on Flickr. The idea is to make up parcels for three swap partners based on the current theme. Sometimes the theme is a color, sometimes a subject. As you might suspect, the theme for the top photo is Apples. Usually I use opaque plastic Asian takeout containers (from Target). They're cute, inexpensive, and lightweight. However, I found the little baskets and thought they'd be appropriate for the Apple swap. The baskets contain fabric, a button card I made with apple buttons, apple-scented goodies (candle, lip gloss, etc), and wooden apples (most are hollow).

This is more typical of my usual "Lucky Parcels" (I love the name -- makes me think of a dessert at a Chinese banquet.) The theme was "Black & White." The parcels include fabric, ribbon, buttons, and a bunch of other fabric-related notions.

What I find so fun is the way the parcel itself is the best part of the swap -- everyone does them differently but they're always cute and clever.

And now a word from our sponsors....

Every once in a while, reality breaks through.... and right now it's harvest time at the winery. That means more than just harvesting grapes and making wine. It also means that everyone starts thinking about wineries. So we're busier in the wine cellar and busier in the tasting room. ...and it doesn't help that I've opened our seasonal tasting room in the Dexter Cider Mill. Whew!

The photo above is from our Dexter tasting room.

Cute Hats!

I started this hat last week while staying at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. I'm on the board of a nonprofit and was there for their annual conference. I had imagined myself sitting on one of the rockers on the front porch, knitting away. Unfortunately, I had to spend a great deal of my time working and only knitted on the porch for about an hour on the last day. But it was lovely...

Anyway, I thought I'd get more knitting done (I want to make some Christmas gifts) and only got this one mostly completed. It's a cute hat and very easy. I made it from double strands of a lovely alpaca yarn I purchased in Grand Rapids a few weeks ago. The pattern is from Hip Knit Hats (there are quite a few hats in the book that I'd like to make).

Perfect for situations when you don't want to have to think much about what you're knitting.

This one's for the October Coloriffic swap -- the theme is Orange & Blue. I hope my partner likes it....

My Yarn Stash

I love hoarding things, and knitting and sewing seem to exacerbate my condition. It's just lovely to look at a mound of gorgeous yarn waiting for me to find the perfect project... Here is a photo of the organized part of my stash -- the stuff that's appropriate for the public to see.

Of course there's also the seamy underbelly to my stash -- odds (some are very odd) and ends scattered about the house. Many that I'll probably not use again... Although my nieces (Lani & Pauline) want to learn to knit. Some of those odd bits of yarn might be perfect for that use...

The fabulous packages keep on coming...

I'm involved in two "secret pal" swaps right now -- one connected with the Art Techniques Yahoo group and the other, SP11, a knitting secret pal swap. Both of my pals were busy shopping and shipping this week, and I'm the lucky recipient!

On Wednesday, I received this adorable packet of goodies (right) from "Freaky" (as she calls herself). She does such a lovely job of finding wonderful treats!

My SP11's package came the next day -- more gorgeous evergreen-colored yarn, this time Peruvian wool. Enough to make a nice-sized project. The cute little Vogue felting book I've been lusting after for so long. And an adorable tea infuser decorated with a little bee (perfect!).

Thanks so much, ladies. I feel so spoiled!

Spell with Flickr

I love this little tool! You can spell any word you wish, then click on each letter to select other options (if you'd like a different version of a particular letter). The letters are all images from Flickr artists.

Have fun!

Felt

I love felt... all sorts. I like making little hand-sewn doo-dads with wool felt yardage, I like felting old sweaters and using the fabric to make stuff, and I like knitting and then felting bags and other goodies.

Recently I finished a cute little felted bag for my partner in the August Bag Ladies swap. The theme was brown + a color. The photos here show before and after felting.

I've made this bag before, in fact I made several for my nieces for Christmas two years ago. It goes pretty fast, has some nice details, and is a good size.I hope my partner likes it!

More Questions and Answers

Here are the answers to the 2nd set of questions for SP11:

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?

Bags. I love bags of all sorts, and keep each project in its own bag.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?

Vacation is my very favorite time to knit. We went on a wonderful vacation last fall -- following old Route 66 from its beginning in Chicago to the end at the Pacific Ocean. But because the road is not always marked well and takes lots of turns, I couldn't do much knitting. The minute-by-minute navigation was so intensive! I really missed being able to knit all along the way.

On a normal vacation, I try to take several projects with me. Especially if we're going to the cabin up-north because there's no access to decent supplies. That way if I finish one thing I have everything I need to start another piece.

3. Where have you traveled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?

I have lots of favorites: our family's cabin in northern Ontario, Chicago, Lake Michigan, London, Mackinac Island, San Francisco, Orkney Island...

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?

I tend to be quite fickle about my favorites -- it depends on my mood. But I'm going to start a bunch of hats for my nieces for Christmas soon out of "Hip Knit Hats." I own it.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?

No. I don't have an iPod. Up until very recently we just had a dial-up Internet connection. We live in a rural area with no access to cable or DSL. We recently got a Sprint wireless card and router and now have what I think of as a "medium" connection. Not yet high speed. So downloads are still somewhat troublesome.

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?

Probably red. Could I do all sorts of reds? Burgundy, wine, bright red, red-orange...

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?

It depends. If it doesn't affect the durability and use, and isn't an eyesore, I'd probably ignore it. I believe in the idea of the rug weavers who deliberately include one mistake in their rugs so it's obvious that it was handmade. OTOH, if it's a problem, I would pull it out and start over.

8. Where is the most unusual spot you've ever knit?

Hmmmmm, that's difficult. While standing in line? At meetings in major museums like the Art Institute of Chicago? That's about as interesting and exciting as I can think of. Sorry.

I think a better question would be "Where is my favorite place to knit?" On the train... lovely and relaxing........ purr...

Goodies in the Mail!

My Secret Pal certainly did get to work quickly! We were assigned partners last Wednesday and I received a package in the mail today.

And, wow, what a package! She sent a note telling me that this was her first swap and she hoped she did well. Yep, SP, you're a natural.

It was as if she knew me well. She obviously read my profiles and followed them (it's amazing how few people are able to manage that). I got 2 skeins of gorgeous yarn -- Misti Alpaca (100% baby alpaca) and Malabrigo Merino from Uruguay. Both are in this luscious jewel-toned deep evergreen... sort of a deep teal. In addition to the yarn there was a wonderful note with two of her amazing photographs, a bookmark with another photo, maple (yum!) syrup and granulated sugar, candles (all in scents I love), a selection of teas, and the new issue of Interweave Knits. ....oh, and she wrapped some of the goodies in this adorable "bee" fabric...

Thanks for everything Secret Pal. I hope you're getting spoiled as well as you're spoiling me!

Shrinky Dinks

I haven't made any Shrinky Dinks in very long time, but picked up some "Shrink Film" at JoAnn Fabrics the other day. I wanted to make some mushroom charms to go with a few other mushroom-themed pieces for a swap.

Making the charms was so much fun! I just drew a mushroom, then traced it on the Shrink Film. I colored it in with Sharpies, cut it out, and then punched a hole at the top.

You need to heat them gently to get them to shrink -- either in a slow oven or with a heat gun. I used the embossing tool I had inherited in Mary's stuff (for the first time). The only tricky part about using that is its blower -- the charm kept blowing around on my worksurface...

It curls as it get heated and shrinks, so I kept flipping it from side to side to even it out. As you get it to its final size, it tends to flatten out. And if not, you can smooth it lightly while it's still hot.

It shrunk quite a bit. I made the original drawings about 3 1/2 inches tall, hoping that wouldn't be too big. They shrunk to about 1 inch tall -- just about the size I was hoping for (or maybe a little smaller). Ta da!

Artistamps

I collected stamps as a kid. I loved the colors and the countries and the little bits of art they carried with them on their journeys.

Those feelings still lurk inside, even though I haven't licked any gummed papers in a long time. (Do they even still use those little folded gummed paper bits to stick the stamps in the albums?)

Artistamps (artist-made postage stamps) tap into all those feelings. You can make them as simple or as complicated as you wish. They can simply be a piece of art in stamp form, with or without a denomination. Or you can create a whole postal issuing authority. Of course, that's what I've done...

My postal issuing authority is an imaginary island nation called Craneland. It's located in southern Lake Erie, near the other islands owned by the US and Canada (Pelee, Middle Bass, etc). It's similar to the other Lake Erie islands: there's a winery located there, a bird sanctuary, farmland, several marinas, etc. It's named after the rare Blushing Crane which makes its home on the island.

Along with tourism and fishing, one of the main sources of income for the island is the postage stamps they issue. The most recent one (above) celebrates one of the pleasures of late summer, the homegrown tomato, specifically an heirloom variety. I might just make fresh tomato sandwiches (thick slices of homegrown tomato and mayonnaise on good bread) an official national dish... yum.

Over 13,000 knitters ahead of me...

Ravelry update:

Found you!

• You signed up on August 1, 2007
• You are #22335 on the list.
• 13352 people are ahead of you in line.
• 2975 people are behind you in line.
• 34% of the list has been invited so far

Two of My Favorite Things

Forget about Raindrops on Roses.... I think Sharpies and Chocolate are much more fun.

I sat down earlier this week to come up with a few ATCs to send to the Sharpie Scouts' Sweet Thangs swap. I was already running late because I had gotten myself overbooked in terms of projects AND Saturday was Spa Day at the winery (I won't go into it... suffice to say it was fun but extremely high maintenance).

I figured I'd sketch a few chocolates (kisses, maybe?), make them super colorful, and send them on their way. However, my hands had different ideas. I have this happen to me quite a lot. I sit down intending to do one thing and my hands make something completely different. I figure it's a collaborative project between my head and my hands. Intellectually, I gather the materials. Sometimes I end up with a finished piece that looks pretty similar to how I originally intended it. Sometimes it's completely different.

This project ended up so different, really the only thing in common was the ATCs and the Sharpies. I sat down to sketch and didn't feel like sketching. Then I remembered all the chocolate wrappers I'd been saving to do a piece for Kate's charity auction project (it benefits Patient Services at the U of M Hospital where she works). She has an antique chocolate box that she's filling with pages of art. They can be autumn- or chocolate-related. I love autumn, but there's really no contest... Anyway, I'd been saving them to use on the chocolate page -- a patchwork border perhaps?

This is getting to be quite a long story... sorry!

So I grabbed the chocolate wrappers, chose a few and cut them into strips. Then I took all the Sharpies I have that remind me of chocolate and colored in a block of the colors. This I also cut into strips. I then wove them together, sewed them on the sewing machine, and cut into bite-sized ATC pieces.

It ended up taking me quite a bit longer than drawing a few Hershey's kisses, but I had the best time! When my hands take over a project, I've learned to shut off my brain and go with the flow....

Summer in My Hometown swap

I'm negligent in acknowledging this wonderful swap package I received several weeks ago.

I took part in the "Summer in My Hometown" swap on Create A Connection. I was slow to send mine, but my partner was right on time. She sent the most wonderful package of goodies from Germany, where she and her family are stationed with the US Air Force. There's a wealth of goodies including a great recipe and a whole bunch of gorgeous handmade cards. How will I ever be able to bring myself to use them?

Thank you so much, Stephanie. It's fabulous!

More About Me

Dear Secret Pal,

My questionnaire is below. You can also find out more about me on my Flickr pages and my Swap-bot profile.

Love,
Heather

Secret Pal 11 - Questionnaire

I'm taking part in "Secret Pal 11" -- an exchange for folks who knit and crochet. One of the requirements is to post the questionnaire to our blogs -- that way our partner can read it and learn more about us. Here we go.....

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Soft natural fibers.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Acrylics. Eyelash yarn and other similar novelty yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have several vintage needle holders and I store my needles in them grouped by their material (all bamboo together, all tortoise-shell/casein together, etc). These are then bundled together into a big Rubbermaid storage container.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I taught myself as a child. I picked it up again as an adult. I've been knitting off and on since then -- a little more rabidly for the past 5 years or so.

Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, but it's for the whole family. You'll have to wade through the listings for Bob and Tommy -- sorry! I promise to get it updated.... http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3LB8X4RDFSDSG/ref=cm_reg_rd-upd/104-9527015-1585553?ie=UTF8&msgid=updated

5. What's your favorite scent? Green tea, lemon.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes. Favorite candy? Dark chocolate, maple.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Lots of other things: paper crafts (ATCs, artistamps, mail art, papier mache), hand-carved rubber stamps, sewing. I especially like working with recycled materials such as felted wool and recycled paper.

Do you spin? Not at this time.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Almost anything. My least favorite styles of music are hip hop and heavy metal. Yes, I can play MP3 files on my computer.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Red, especially dark reds; greens (sage, deep greens, chartreuse), interesting blues (cobalt, periwinkle, Swedish blue). I also like black, brown. I especially like colors put together in interesting combinations.

Any colors you just can't stand? I think all colors have their place. My least favorite are kelly green and harsh yellows. I often end up with way too much pink and purple and would really only like them in moderation.

10. What is your family situation? My household includes me, my husband, and our teenaged son. We may also have one of my son's friends staying with us soon.

Do you have any pets? Yes, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever named Winston and 5 cats: Little Bit, Violet, Charli, Alex & Henry.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes -- I'm in Michigan and need all the help I can get!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Bags. Felted items.

13. What are you knitting right now? An adult version of the Harry Potter baby hat (from "Weekend Knitting") for my son. A tote bag for a "brown + another color" swap.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! They're my favorite.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circular, but I will knit with straights under some circumstances.

Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? 1. Casein (fake tortoiseshell - vintage plastic), 2. Bamboo, 3. Wood

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have a swift that I purchased at a church sale for $2. It doesn't lock well, but works ok. I don't have a yarn winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Do I have to say this out loud? Ok, about 3 years, I think.

18. What is your favorite holiday? I'm not a huge holiday person but my favorites are Christmas, Halloween, and my birthday (used to be anyway, see below).

19. Is there anything that you collect? Kitchen stuff from the Depression era: bakelite, vintage linens, Fiestaware, other Depression-era china such as Hall. Cook books.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Hmmmm, I'll think about this and update it as I come up with ideas.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? At this time I don't subscribe to any knitting magazines. I occasionally buy Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting @ a yarn shop.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Aran/cable. Nothing else I can think of right at the moment.

22. Are you a sock knitter? Not really. I made one pair of socks and didn't love it.

What are your foot measurements? I wear size 9 shoes and have chunky ankles (ok, that was harder to admit than the UFOs!).

23. When is your birthday? September 11. Hence the lack of celebration lately.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Not yet -- I'm currently on the list. I'll update as this changes.

Explore

I recently discovered that the tags I'd been using on my Flickr photos were not "public." It had something to do with their policies at the time I joined. So my photos weren't searchable, they didn't show up on the Swap-Bot home page (even if I used "swapbot" as one of my tags), and nothing showed up in Explore.

Now that we've cleared it up, it's fun to find out that Explore is finding me. The poster above is a collection of my photos that have shown up in Explore.

Swap packages

I really enjoy making up packages of goodies to swap with others. I like to look at someone's profile or blog or collection of Flickr photos, get to know them, and come up with a package of goodies they'd like.

Of course, it's never quite so simple as that. I'm owed a lot of packages at this point. And sometimes it's tough finding things someone will like from what's available locally. So I often end up ordering it off the Internet. And that can be expensive -- you're then paying two sets of postage charges....

I've been trying to cut down on the swap I'm doing lately. To me, it doesn't make sense to participate in those "you send a package of little stuff and get another package of similar stuff in the mail." You end up with a bunch of little do-dads that aren't particularly useful in real life. I tend to concentrate on swaps that have a strong element of handmade in them. That way you get something unique -- something made by another's hands.

(Above, Coloriffic swap sent out Friday. Theme was neutral plus one of my favorite colors and one of my partner's favorite colors. The handmade items are not in the photo because they're so specific to my partner, she would know it was for her immediately...)

Yarn Lust

I haven't been knitting much lately -- too obsessed by other things right now I guess. But I continue to covet new yarn.

I've been participating in the Yarn Junkies swaps on Swap-Bot. Each month a different color is featured. The color for July was pink.

I haven't received my package yet, but here's the one I sent out. My partner is a vegan so she requested vegan yarn. One of the shades of pink she likes is a dark pink. So I set off on a mission to find some cool dark pink vegan yarn. The result was this wonderful funky 100% corn yarn. It's Kollage Cornucopia from paradisefibers.net. It's a ribbon yarn with a great feel. I added a skein of brown because she loves the combination of pink and brown (who doesn't?).

I also made her some pink and brown stitch markers -- the first I've ever made. If you can do earrings or charms, it's absolutely easy. You just have to find (or make) rings large enough to fit on your needles. I love the pink polka-dot beads in these....

I'm not a huge fan of pink, but I do believe every color has its place. I'm sure someone I knit for loves pink! I wonder what my partner will send to me?

Sewing Again

I've made fun of my dad becoming obsessed with his hobbies -- after all, that's the origin of our winery. But I am probably just as bad. Or maybe worse?

Last year I became obsessed with Artist Trading Cards. My garden didn't get planted and my knitting sat idle.

That obsession has now evolved. I've branched out into all sorts of arts/crafts as long as it's all about swapping with other folks via Flickr, Swap-Bot, or any number of private swaps. In fact, now I seem to enjoy doing lots of different things: paper arts (ATCs, artistamps, other mail art), homemade magnets, notecards, hand-carved rubber stamps, knitting... and I've even gotten back to sewing.

Actually, sewing was another obsessive craft I practiced long, long ago (in the dark ages) when I was a teenager. Almost every week I'd make something new to wear when I went out that following weekend. As is with SOME of my obsessions, I got burnt out on sewing. And I basically stopped doing it until now.

After getting into sewing on paper recently (I love it), left, and hand-sewing with felt, I've finally gotten back to sewing something with fabric on my sewing machine. Last week I made a tote bag for a swap on Swap-Bot called "Farmgirl at Heart." The swap called for four (or more) items with a farm/garden theme such as ribbon, buttons, or a tote bag.

I found some great fabric to make the tote bag: a heavy cotton printed with gardening tools like spading forks and shovels, another fun yellow cotton fabric printed with red roosters, and a very heavy yellow cotton canvas.

I've never sewed with a heavy canvas before, but my ancient machine performed well. I was feeling swamped because I'd committed myself to too many things that were due at the same time. But I still enjoyed making the bag. Because of the canvas bottom and handles, it ended up very sturdy. And, of course, I'm already thinking of the next thing to sew!

A beginning

I've thought about setting up a blog for a while now. But, honestly, I figured keeping up with my Flickr site was about all I could manage.

However, I just joined a knitting swap that requires a blog.... so here I am. Watch this space -- I may have more stories to tell than I realize....

Heather